At the end of the secret passage was a dry well. Xin Jiuwei climbed up the protruding stones on the well wall and found herself in the backyard of a silk shop. It was already broad daylight, and the sounds of people on the street were beginning to rise. She straightened her clothes, pretended to be an ordinary customer, and walked out through the front door, blending into the bustling crowd.
The Huichuntang pharmacy in the West Market was bustling with activity, with people queuing up to get their medicine stretching into the street. Xin Jiuwei observed for a moment, then went around to the back alley, knocked three times on the tightly closed door, paused, and then knocked twice more.
The door opened a crack.
"Who are you looking for?" An elderly man with a wrinkled face poked his head out.
Xin Jiuwei showed her bronze medal: "Is Lan Mingyue here?"
The old man's expression changed, and he quickly pulled her inside: "Young lady, come with me."
After passing through several courtyards, the old man led her to an inner room filled with the fragrance of herbs. Lan Mingyue—or rather, Xiao Ran—was grinding medicinal herbs. Upon seeing Xin Jiuwei enter, she immediately put down the pestle and mill: "Miss, you've come at the perfect time."
She looked even more haggard than she had three days ago, with dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating she hadn't slept for many days. Various medicinal herbs and medical books were scattered on the table, with an open ancient book prominently displayed, its pages bearing the words "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Powder" in bold letters.
"Is there an antidote?" Xin Jiuwei went straight to the point.
Xiao Ran shook her head with a wry smile: "There is no cure for this poison. But..." She pointed to a small passage in the ancient book, "If we can delay the onset of the poison, there might be a glimmer of hope."
Xin Jiuwei leaned closer to examine it. The text described a miraculous medicine called "Bingxin Dan" that could temporarily freeze the spread of toxins, buying time for detoxification.
Do you have this medicine?
"It's being refined," Xiao Ran said, pointing to a small alchemy furnace in the corner, "but it's missing a crucial ingredient—a century-old snow lotus."
Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened. Centuries-old snow lotuses grow in the frigid far north, a rare treasure even within the imperial palace. Where could she possibly find one in just three days?
"It's in the Second Prince's residence." Xiao Ran seemed to read her thoughts. "According to our spies, two plants were presented as tribute from the Northern Frontier three years ago. One is with the Emperor, and the other was given to the Second Prince."
Xin Jiuwei immediately understood Xiao Ran's meaning. To save Xiao Xun, they had to steal the Snow Lotus from the Second Prince's residence. This was an almost impossible task...
"I'll go," she heard herself say.
Xiao Ran wasn't surprised, but gave her a deep look: "Has the young lady thought it through? The Second Prince's residence is heavily guarded; if things go wrong..."
"The Second Prince will definitely enter the palace to make preparations before the birthday banquet, so the guards in the mansion will be relatively lax," Xin Jiuwei analyzed calmly. "Besides, I have this." She took out the Xuan Ying Token that Xiao Xun had given her from her bosom.
Upon seeing the token, Xiao Ran's pupils constricted slightly: "His Highness actually gave you this..." She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly knelt on one knee, "In that case, the entire Xuanying sect will be at your command, Miss."
Xin Jiuwei was startled and quickly helped her up: "There's no need for that. I just want to know the layout of the Second Prince's residence and the guards' shift changes."
Xiao Ran stood up and took out a scroll of blueprints from a hidden compartment: "It's already prepared." She unfolded the blueprints, which detailed every courtyard, secret passage, and patrol route in the Second Prince's residence. "The Snow Lotus should be hidden here—in the secret room behind the hidden compartment in the study."
Xin Jiuwei carefully noted down every detail, then suddenly remembered something: "Where is Qi Huaiyu now?"
"He lives in the Second Prince's villa, guarding a box day and night," Xiao Ran sneered. "According to an inside report, it contains 'evidence' to frame Lord Xin."
Just as expected. Xin Jiuwei clenched her fists. In her past life, Qi Huaiyu had used fabricated evidence to cause the execution of the entire Xin family, and now he wanted to repeat the same trick!
"When does the young lady plan to make her move?" Xiao Ran's question pulled her back to reality.
"Tonight," Xin Jiuwei said decisively, "is the perfect opportunity for the Second Prince to enter the palace to participate in the Empress Dowager's fasting ceremony."
Xiao Ran nodded: "I will send my most elite bodyguards to assist." She took a small bottle from the medicine cabinet. "This is a sleeping incense; it can make someone fall into a deep sleep for two hours without leaving a trace."
Xin Jiuwei took the medicine bottle, when suddenly she heard a commotion outside. Xiao Ran's expression hardened, and she quickly pushed Xin Jiuwei towards the back window: "There's a search! Go this way, and meet us under the old locust tree at midnight!"
Climbing out the window, Xin Jiuwei used the herb rack as cover to slip to the courtyard wall. Just as she scaled the top, she heard the front door being kicked open and a harsh shout:
"By order of the Second Prince, search for traitors!"
She held her breath and landed lightly in the neighboring courtyard. It was the kitchen of a restaurant, and the busy waiters were used to her sudden appearance—in a place like the capital, who didn't have a few secrets?
After mingling with the diners and leaving the restaurant, Xin Jiuwei decided to return to the Xin residence to investigate. Just as she turned into a small alley, she was suddenly pulled forcefully into a nearby doorway. Instinctively, she drew her dagger, but froze when she saw the person's face.
"Qi Huaihe?!"
My cousin was much thinner than the last time we met, and his eyes were tired and dark, but his gaze was still sharp. He covered her mouth to signal her to be quiet, and then pointed to the alley entrance—two guards dressed in the attire of the Second Prince's residence were searching house to house.
"What are you doing here?" Xin Jiuwei asked in a low voice after the guards had walked away.
Qi Huaihe released his grip and took out a letter from his pocket: "I received this this morning. The Second Prince suspects the Xin family is in contact with the Sixth Prince and has sent heavy troops to monitor them. Your sister asked me to give this to you."
The letter bore Xin Xiyao's familiar handwriting, containing only a few words: "There is a traitor within the manor. Do not return. Proceed according to plan."
Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened. Was there a traitor within the household? Who was it?
"Wei'er, the capital is in grave danger." Qi Huaihe's voice was hoarse. "The Second Prince has already taken control of half of the Imperial Guards, just waiting to make his move on the night of the birthday banquet." He paused, "The Sixth Prince...is he really poisoned?"
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